In July of 2007 a virtual who’s who of the Geo-community gathered at the headquarters of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) for a workshop to discuss the Trends Affecting the Geo-community. Yesterday the ASCE released a report on the workshop titled: Trends Affecting the Geo-Community: What Does the Future Hold, edited by Peter Smeallie. More details after the break.
The Arizona Land Subsidence Group (ALSG) has just released a white paper entitled "Land Subsidence and Earth Fissures in Arizona". More details after the break. (Photo courtesy of NCS Consultants, LLC)
The Arizona Land Subsidence Group (ALSG) has just released a white paper entitled "Land Subsidence and Earth Fissures in Arizona". More details after the break. (Photo courtesy of NCS Consultants, LLC)
The State of Nevada lost a major battle in their attempt to block the US Department of Energy’s attempt at licensing the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. The panel of judges in the case threw it out after a week of oral arguments by the State. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, the Judge’s ruling stated "Nevada’s legal position is incorrect."
A massive landslide triggered a 2 meter plus high wave at a lake in British Columbia. The resulting wave wiped out massive full grown cedar trees all along the lake and could have an environmental impact by damming up a stream that flows from the lake and also impacting fish populations. Apparently salmon migrate through this lake also. Video coverage after the break. (Photo by CBCNews.ca)
On December 14, 2005, the upper reservoir of the Taum Sauk pumped storage plant, a hydroelectric power plant in the Missouri Ozarks, suffered a catastrophic failure. The resulting flood severely damaged the Jonhson’s Shut-Ins State Park and swept away the park superintendent and his family. Fortunately all of them survived. (Photos by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and USGS)
Last week, the Missouri Attorney General’s office announced a settlement of $180 million between the facility’s owner, Ameren Corp. The failure reportedly was a result of negligence on the part of the company. More details after the break.
In July of 2007, The Big Island’s Kilauea began eruting approximately 500,000 cubic meters of lava a day in a direction that has not previously seen lava flows. Most importantly, the northeasterly direction of flow takes it towards Pahoa Village, 11 miles from the erupting fissure but still possibly at risk. Read on for more. (USGS Photo)
The Ancient Egyptians are still marveled at today for some of their enduring hard-rock creations. Of course everyone thinks of the Sphinx and the Great Pyramids, but perhaps just as impressive if not more impressive were the gigantic obelisks that were quarried and somehow transported into place. There is work underway to preserve a rare archaeological site, a granite quarry with a large unfinished obelisk near Aswan.
Archaeological evidence combined with some shallow seismic refraction surveys and bore holes confirm the finding of a canal believed to have been used to transport these obelisks to the Nile River during flooding. However, dewatering will be needed to excavate these canals to verify these claims. Another problem is the salt deposits that are slowly destroying the quarry. National Driller Magazine is the location of this interesting article. Link after the break. (Photo by Son of Groucho)
Released: 11/7/2007 1:18:29 PM
| Contact Information: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey Office of Communication 119 National Center Reston, VA 20192 |
Clarice Nassif Ransom &n=Clarice+Nassif+Ransom"> Phone: 703-648-4299 Matt Ocana (NOAA) |
Winter Rains on Burn Areas Could Spawn New Danger
A debris flow and flash flood warning system developed jointly by NOAA’s National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey will help protect Southern Californians from potentially devastating debris flows-commonly known as mud slides- and flash floods in and around burn areas created by the recent wildfires.
Contact: Garrett Russo, Press Secretary, American Rivers, (202) 347-7550; Stephanie Lindloff, American Rivers, (518) 482-2631
Washington, D.C. — With dams across the country falling into disrepair, dam owners in 12 states have chosen to eliminate obsolete infrastructure by removing their dams. An annual survey of government agencies and private conservation organizations shows that 54 dams in 12 states have been removed or are slated for removal in 2007.
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